This invention relates to eye protection and, more specifically, to a slidable visor which may be retrofitted to a standard hardhat construction helmet.
Modern construction techniques involve a variety of procedures which result in hazards to the eyes of construction workers. Such hazards may include solid particulate matter or liquids which are sprayed, dropped, or otherwise propelled by acts such as spray painting, sawing, grinding, or hammering into a brittle surface. Additionally, heavy or sharp tools are often exposed at eye level and may be carelessly operated or directed by workers. The hazards of the work place are well-known and have been described voluminously and with occasional eloquence in many publications.
At the present time, the primary means of eye protection in the work place are goggles. These are typically restrained against the face of the wearer by an elastic strap which reaches around the head, and the goggles are shaped so as to maintain a seal around the eyes to prevent the instrusion of dust, mist, and other airborne hazards. Goggles offer reliable protection in moderately severe conditions, but have drawbacks if the hazards faced are less severe. As one example, the installation of small spikes in masonry produces occasional dust and flying chips. A tight seal surrounding the eyes in such a situation is unnecessary, and goggles restrict peripheral vision and may irritate facial skin and scalp around the headband. Moreover, goggles require preplanning or cessation of work in order to place or remove them around the eyes, and this has led many workers in situations where goggles are the only form of eye protection available to forego eye protection altogether. Thus, for less hazardous work place conditions, a less inconvenient form of eye protection would be very useful to construction workers.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,815,508 discloses a safety helmet bearing an integral retractable eye shield. The helmet is a rigid shell having a generally hemispherical contour with a pair of indentations formed in the outer surface of the shell above either side of the face of the helmet wearer. The indentations extend upwardly from the lower rim of the shell, and each indentation contains an elongated track for retaining the eye shield. The shape and dimension of the eye shield conforms to the surface of the helmet between the indentations, and the edges of the shield corresponding to the indentations bear sliders which are adapted to be slidably received on the tracks. This design presents a marked degree of friction between the slider's track, which prevents the shield from being moved with one hand either downward to a shield or upward to a non-shield position. Moreover, the external nature of the shield prevents use with a helmet featuring a forward brim.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,315,272 discloses a helmet bearing dual external visors. One such visor is designed with maximal structural strength for wind resistance in situations such as motorcyclist usage. A second visor is provided with tinting for ambient light reduction. Either or both visors may be placed in front of the face of the user. Both visors ride on external tracks atop the helmet and may be locked into place utilizing threaded knobs which pass through a central slot in each visor into the helmet tracks. Movement of these visors requires a great deal of hand manipulation and attention to the task, while taking attention away from other activities such as driving a motorcycle. Additionally, the central slot in each visor impedes binocular vision straight ahead of the wearer.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,287,615 discloses a pivoted visor shield which may be withdrawn up into the outer shell of a helmet. The visor is supported on a bow member which is rotatably held at two opposite points on either side of the face of the wearer to the helmet. When withdrawn within the helmet, the visor rests between an inner cap of the outer helmet. The patent states that, in order to move the visor from a withdrawn position to an exposed position, both ends of the bow must be moved to the rear simultaneously in order to pivot the bow and bring the visor forward and down. This clearly requires the wearer to commit more than one hand to the action, thereby taking control and attention away from any other activity.
Thus it can be seen that the prior art has failed in many crucial respects to provide a visor in combination with a helmet permitting easy adjustment of a visor between a withdrawn position and an exposed position. Also, the prior art requires that the helmet be manufactured in a specific or customized fashion in order to accommodate the visor structure. It would clearly be much more economical to provide a visor which may be retrofitted as to the hardhat design already possessed by and familiar to those whose work involves occasional hazard to the eyes and head.